Electrochemical cells, such as fuel cells, include pathways for the transport of charged species. Ions from electrochemical reactions are transported through an ion-exchange membrane of a fuel cell, such as a proton exchange membrane, and electrons are transferred between adjacent fuel cells. Specifically, a path for proton conductivity can be integrated within the fuel cell while a path for electron conductivity is created between adjacent fuel cells to provide an electrical circuit from the overall positive and negative electrical connections of the fuel cell device. Bipolar fuel cells are arranged to provide an electrical current flow in a direction opposite to an ion flow through the membrane. Alternately, edge-collected fuel cells provide electrical current flow parallel to the membrane while ion flow occurs through the membrane.
Systems having electrochemical cells may be used to supply power to portable or large-scale applications. Electrochemical cells having space-saving architectures can be used to reduce the footprint of the power supply relative to the overall system. Batteries for such applications exist. However, existing battery architectures pose safety concerns under stress, and fuel cells having thin-film structures deposited on rigid electrolytes, such as solid oxide ceramic electrolytes, exhibit limited structural flexibility. While thin-layer fuel cells having solid polymer electrolytes offer more flexibility, such architectures often rely on additional structural components to provide robustness. However, substrates and structural members consume volume without contributing to energy for power delivery.